Update [2007-5-9 23:42:19 by Big Tent Democrat]: John Boehner attended the meeting but did not talk. The attendees included Boehner, Dent, Kirk, Tom Davis, Ray LaHood, Ann Emerson, Gerlach of PA and Walsh of NY. All in tough districts, some of which barely survived in last year's election. This is a Rove operation. You can smell it.

'You have no credibility on Iraq Mr. President.'

'My district is ready for defeat.'

-GOP Congresspersons in meeting with President Bush Tuesday.

MSNBC reports that 11 GOP Congresspersons met with the President and told him they are not happy with the Iraq Debacle. They say General Petraeus must tell them things are getting better. Presumably in September.

We'll see if this means anything. I do not think it means much of anything personally. These are 11 GOP Congresspersons who are probably facing tough races and want some cover. 11, 20, or even 30 GOP defections won't overcome a veto.

For this to matter, you have to believe Bush will listen to these folks. I do not. I think this is, as Craig Crawford describes it, more rope a dope:

While some Republican lawmakers seem sincere in calling for a quality check in September for President George W. Bush’s war surge, there is a familiar pattern here. Back in December, when Bush announced his new Iraq strategy, his GOP war supporters — and even the White House itself — had pinpointed this summer as the soft deadline for determining whether it is working. But early last month the president announced that the troop boost would not even be completed until June, thus buying a few more months. . . .

This is more of the same imo.

Given that VECO Corp. has admitted that it bribed Republican politicians in Alaska, should other Republican politicians, including President Bush, untaint themselves by returning the campaign contributions that they accepted from VECO?

Since 1990, Anchorage-based VECO, its employees and their family members gave the state and national Republican parties, GOP congressional candidates and Bush slightly more than $1 million, according to an analysis by watchdog Center for Responsive Politics.

One of the VECO executives who entered a guilty plea to bribery, CEO Bill Allen, was the state financial co-chairman of Bush's 2000 campaign. Heckuva job there, Billy.

CNN's latest poll misstates the Reid-Feingold proposal:

21. One proposal would NOT provide additional funds for US troops in Iraq and would require the US withdraw all its troops by March 2008. Would you favor or oppose such a bill?

There is no such proposal. CNN is either incompetent, my choice, or deliberately not telling the truth about the Reid-Feingold proposal.

The proper question for the Reid-Feingold proposal would say:

One proposal would provide additional funds for US troops in Iraq up to a date certain, March 31, 2008, and then would require the US withdraw all its troops by March 2008 by NOT providing funding after March 31, 2008. Would you favor or oppose such a bill?

Is CNN incompetent? Or deliberately misstating what the Reid-Feingold proposal is? This is inexcusable from a supposedly reputable news organization. This poll is a sham.

Yesterday we were informed about a new Democratic plan for funding the Iraq Debacle:

Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives said on Tuesday that they will try to pass a new Iraq war-funding bill to keep combat operations running for the next two or three months while also forcing a troop withdrawal vote in July. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, said a vote could come as early as Thursday on a new plan to provide more than $30 billion now for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan before existing war funds run out. Another $10 billion or so would beef up veterans health care and other military programs.

Today, President Bush promised to veto such legislation:

U.S. President George W. Bush would veto an emerging House of Representatives bill which would include limits on funding for the Iraq war, White House spokesman Tony Snow said on Wednesday.

"There are restrictions on funding and there are also some of the spending items that were mentioned in the first veto message that are still in the bill," Snow told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew with Bush to visit parts of Kansas devastated by tornadoes last week.

Asked whether Bush would veto the bill in its current form, Snow said: "Yes."

Well now, how will Dems deal with Bush on Iraq now? Clearly he wants what he wants and will not budge on it. Senator Obama and some other folks look to September for a veto-proof majority to overcome Bush's intransigence. Let's hope they are right. I am confident they are wrong.

To me, everything points to one way to end the Debacle - announce a date certain when the Iraq Debacle will not be funded. Yes, the Reid-Feingold framework.

New York Times Public Editor Byron Calame hung up his pen last weekend, making way for a new Public Editor, Clark Hoyt.

Calame provided a model, imo, for how to do the job. Unlike his awful predecessor, Daniel Okrent, Calame was a newspaperman, and knew his way around a newsroom and the processes that permit the nightly miracle of the production of a newspaper, particularly a newspaper like the New York Times.

Unlike Okrent, Calame welcomed the attention of Times readers:

It has been an honor to be entrusted to pursue concerns about The Times on behalf of you, the readers, and to monitor the integrity of the journalism practiced by the talented staff of this outstanding newspaper. It has been especially gratifying to hear from those of you whose questions and criticisms showed that you take seriously your obligation to be informed so you can be a more effective citizen in our democracy. I only wish there had been more such critics, those I came to think of as ”citizen readers.” And while you often deserved more breadth and vision than I had to offer, please know that I have given the job my all — for you and for the craft that I love.

Calame embodied what I believe the attitude and function of a Public Editor should be. He leaves big shoes to fill.

Bump and Update: It looks like it will be a stand-alone bill. A reader just wrote in:

FYI-- Congresswoman, Rep. Kathy Castor, (D-FL-11th) who serves on both the Armed Services Comm. AND is the only freshman on the powerful Rules Committee which makes decisions about moving bills forward, met with Armed Services Chair Ike Skelton early this morning and they have decided to file a stand alone bill to restore habeas corpus rather than put it in the Defense Authorization Bill.

I spoke to her Chief of Staff personally, and he said she promises to work to move the bill along, so everyone will have to vote up or down on restoring habeas, and we'll all know by their vote where exactly everyone in Congress stands on restoring habeas.

*****
Original Post: 5/8/07

Via McJoan at Daily Kos and Matt Stoller:

I'm told there's an outside shot that House Democrats on the Armed Services Committee will put a restoration of habeas corpus into the Defense Department Authorization Bill being marked up tomorrow and Thursday. Apparently Chairman Skelton has the votes but there are concerns about whether to have this fight now.

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Via Vote Vets.Org:

In a stunning, new half-million dollar ad series from VoteVets.org being launched today, three retired Generals, two of whom were commanders in Iraq, directly take on the notion that the President listens to commanders on the ground in Iraq, and declares that his plan for Iraq endangers American security. This is the first time in the history of the war that former commanders are taking to the paid airwaves to challenge the President, and push Members of Congress to oppose his policy on the war.

The first in the series of three ads features Major General (ret.) John Batiste, who was commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division from August 2002-June 2005. During this timeframe, he conducted combat operations in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. ... Batiste twice voted for President Bush and is a lifelong Republican.

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MSNBC's Keith Olbermann will receive the Molly Ivins Award today from the Alternative Association of Newsweeklies today.

The award was recently named in honor of Ms. Ivins, who served as co-editor of AAN member Texas Observer early in her muckraking career, and who died of breast cancer on January 31, at the age of 62. It is intended to recognize a journalist or media figure who's reporting or commentary has had a profound impact on the public's understanding of vital national issues, and who's work embodies the spirit of Ivins' courageous legacy.

Olbermann says he's honored to receive the award and still wants to be Molly Ivins when he grows up.

Congratulations, Keith.

Phillip Workman's request for a last meal was unusual:

The 53-year-old requested a vegetarian pizza be delivered to a homeless person in Nashville, Workman's attorney confirmed.

Offered the choice between the electric chair and lethal injection, Workman just said no.

"I'm not going to play no killing game," he told CNN in an exclusive interview last month.

The State chose to end his life with a lethal injection last night. Workman was executed for killing a police officer more than 25 years ago.

Yesterday I wrote about the FBI's acknowledgment that there was no known connection between those charged in the Fort Dix case and al-Qaida.

After all, they trained not in Afghanistan but in the Poconos.

Wonkette makes a good point:

Ok. So, the plot was: six dudes from New Jersey buy some guns and storm Fort Dix. The Fort Dix that is full of lots and lots of Army reservists with way, way more guns. And, like, extensive military training and sh*t. Yes, thank god these terrorists have been caught and locked up before they could be killed within minutes of deciding to carry out the dumbest f*cking terrorist plot we’ve ever heard of.

TRex at Firedoglake also has some thoughts well worth reading.

Seven men and five women have been selected as jurors in the trial of accused enemy combatent and "dirty bomber" Jose Padilla. Opening arguments begin Monday. The trial could last all summer.

There is no "dirty bomber" charge against Padilla.

Instead, Mr. Padilla and his co-defendants, Adham Hassoun and Kifah Jayyousi, stand accused of participating in a “North American support cell” that, the government says, sent money, goods and recruits abroad to assist “global jihad.”

The prosecution and defense attacked each other's juror exclusions:

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Who do you believe in a case like this? Where one cop is on trial and a former cop testifies against him, expecting a reduced sentence for his own misdeeds?

A former Chicago police officer testifying against an officer on trial for robbing drug dealers as part of a corrupt ring of Englewood cops was challenged in federal court Tuesday about his own history of crimes.

Corey Flagg testified that he shook down dealers for narcotics and cash while he was on a team of tactical cops, just as defendant Eural Black is accused of doing.

Black's lawyers went for blood as they cross-examined Flagg:

Flagg, who also has pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy, was quickly attacked by defense lawyers and accused of having no credibility. Instead of a potential life term, Flagg could serve just 10 years in prison or even less for helping the government, they pointed out.

Flagg admitted that he expects to get a deal even though he acknowledges taking part in armed robberies, home invasions, falsifying police reports and lying to judges and grand juries while he was with the department.

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